Microsoft Tests Prompting Heavy Chrome Users to Pin Edge to Windows 11 Taskbar

Microsoft has a long history of trying to move Chrome users to the Edge browser. We’ve previously reported on some of its efforts. Now, the Redmond giant has come up with a new way to nudge Chrome users toward Edge, and it’s happening inside the browser’s Canary build.

The news comes via Windows Latest, which reported that the latest Edge Canary update includes experimental “growth” flags tied to a campaign that prompts users to pin Edge to the Windows taskbar. Unlike previous attempts to move every Chrome user to Edge, this campaign specifically targets people with high Chrome usage.

Per the report, one flag, called msOptimizeChromePBSignalForPinningOnCloseCampaigns, includes a clear hint in its “PinningOnClose” label. The “PBSignal” element is an internal behavior trigger designed to determine exactly who should see the pop-up.

Additionally, another flag, msPinningCampaignChromeUsageGreaterThan90Trigger, seems to activate only when Chrome usage exceeds a certain internal threshold, potentially around 90%.

For now, these flags don’t actually work, and they may never reach the general public. That’s because Microsoft often tests features in Canary that never make it to stable builds. That said, this tactic is notable especially for its timing. As reported, the prompt appears after you close Edge, not while you’re using it.

If the experiment moves to the roll-out phase, there could be some concerns for Microsoft. That’s especially after Opera sued it in Brazil for its anticompetitive behaviour of promoting Edge on Windows 11 devices. All in all, Microsoft is trying every bit to chip away at some of the global browser market share, which is currently dominated by Chrome.